Imbibition printing



Odi. 24, 1950 J, R, CLARK, 1Rv 2,526,995

IMBIBITION PRINTING Filed March 3, 1945 Mana?? Jbrp. flaw/ J7' Piange oa. as. reso UNH'ED STATE mmmmoiv Damn-Nc'. s John R. Clark, Jr., Los Anniek. Calif.. signor to Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation, Hollywood, Calif., a corporation oi' Maine Appnummwn s, 1945, semi No. ssossi is claim. (ci. roiuan In the art of printing color pictures by imbibition it is often diicult to tlnd suitable dyes. While dyes are available in an almost unlimited range of hues many of them are unsuitable for imbibition printing.

- Objects of the present invention are to increase the range of hue's available ior imbibition printing and to provide a method of imbibition printing which permits the use of coloring agentsother than the dyes heretofore used for the purpose.'

The present invention utilizes the well-known principle of forming the coloring matter in the film by means of a color former or coupler, in-

stead of introducing it into the film in the form of a dye, the coloring matter being formed in the illm by reaction between the coupling agent and a reducing agent in the presence of an oxidizing agent.

According to the present invention one oi' the agents, or two of the agents mixed together, are printed on' an absorptive film from a printing matrix having the one agent or the mixture of two agents distributed throughout its area in accordance with the lights and shadows oi the picture, and then bathing the lm with the remainder of the agents, that is with the remaining one of the agents in the case of printing a mixture of a mixture of the two. The coupling agent must be present when the other two react; this can be accomplished in any one of the following ways:

1. Print the coupler by imbibition, then bathe with the reducer and `then'bathe with the oxidizer.

2. Print the coupler by imbibition, then bathe with the oxidizer and then bathe with the reducer.

3. Print by imbibition with a mixture of the coupler and reducer and then bathe with the oxidizer. l

4. Print by imbibition with a mixture of the coupler and oxidizer and then bathe with the reducer.

5. Print the reducer by imbibition. then bathe with the coupler and then bathe with the oxidizer.

6. Print the reducer by imbibition and then bathe with a mixture of the coupler and oxidizer.

7. Print the oxidizer by imbibition. then bathe with the coupler and then bathe with the reducer.

8. Print the loxidizer bathe with a mixture oi the coupler and reducer. v

The third procedure is recommended.

For the purpose of illustration the procedure is indicated in thev accompanying drawings i which Fig. 1 indicates a differentially absorptive matrix M representing one color aspect of a scene:

Fig. 2 indicates the absorptive blank illm; and

Fig. 3 indicates successive steps of the process.

The printing matrix maybe rendered differentially absorptive in accordance with the lights and shadows of the picture in any one of the ways well-known in the art of imbibition printing. In printing a plurality of color aspects in superposition, as in a three-color process, the other color aspects may be printed in the same way or by ordinary imbibition printing technique or in any other known way. When only one color 'aspect is printed according to the present invention, -it is preferably printed rst and the other color aspects are then preferably printed by ordinary imbibition procedure. When more than one color aspect is printed according to the present invention the blank film should of course be thoroughly washed between successive printings so that the agents used in one printing will not affect a succeedingprlnting. In referring to a blank film it will of course be understood that l the lm need not be entirely blank. For exampleit may carry a key print in the form of a 'gray picture, or it may carry asound-track, or it may carry both a key print and a sound-track.

While many coupling, reducing and oxidizing agents may be used in the process the following are a few typical examples:

1. Coupling agents:

a. Alpha naphthol b. 2,4 dichloro-l-naphthol c. Thymol d. Ortho hydroxy diphenyl e. 4,6-dibromorthocresol 2. Reducing agents:

a. 2-arnino5diethyl amino toluene hydr chloride y b. Diethylparaphenylene diamine c. ADimethylparaphenylene diamine d. Paratoiuylene diamine 3. oxidizing agents:

a. Potassium permanganate b. Sodium hypochlorite c. Sodium hypobromite d. Potassium ferricyanide by imbibition and then Itshouldbeunderstoodthatthepresentdisclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents' which fall within the scope of the appended claims. For example the invention may be employed in printing sound-tracks as well as pictures.

I claim:

l. In the art of producing a color picture by reaction between a dye-producing coupling agent and a reducing agent consisting essentially or an aromatic amine. in the presence of an oxidizing agent, the method which comprises printing by imblbition on an absorptive film from a printing matrix having one or two of the agents distributed throughout its area in accordance with the lights and shadows of the picture, and then bathing the nlm with the remainder of the agents. so that said coupling agent nrst reacts with one of the other two agents and the other of said two agents then reacts with the reaction product of said coupling agent and said one of the other two -agents, thereby forming the coloring matter in the printed film when the nlm is bathed.

2. In the art of producing a color picture by reaction between a dye-producing coupling agent and a reducing agent consisting essentially of an aromatic amine. in the presence of an oxidizing agent, the method which comprises printing by imbibition on an absorptive nlm from a printing matrix having one or two of the agents distributed throughout its area in accordance with the lights and shadows of the picture. and then bathing the film with the remainder of the agents. the coupling agent being applied to the film before the other two react together, thereby forming the coloring matter in the printed film when the film is bathed.

3. In the art of producing a color picture by reaction between a coupling agent and a reducing agent in the presence of an oxidizing agent, the method which comprises printing by imbibition on an absorptive illm from a printing matrix having one or two of the agents' distributed throughout its area in accordance with the lights 4 5. The method according to claim 2 characterised in that both the couplingandthe reducing agents are applied to the film bef the oxidizing agent.

6.Themethodaccordingtoclaim3furtber characterised in that both the coupling and the reducing agents are applied to the film before the oxidizing agent.

7. The method according to claim 1 further characterized in that the coupling and reducing agents are mixed together before being applied tothe film.

8. The method according to claim 2 further characterised in that the coupling and reducim agents are mixed together before being applied to the film.

9. The method according to claim 3 further characterized in that the coupling and reducing agents are mixed together before being applied to the iilm.

l0. Tbe'method according to claim 1 further characterised in that the coupling and oxidizing agents are mixed together before being applied tothe nlm.

11. The method according to claim 2 further characterized in that the coupling and oxidizing agents are mixed together before being applied to the nlm.

l2. 'I'he method according to claim 3 further characterised in that the coupling and oxidizing agents are mixed together before being applied tothe film.

13. The method according to claim 1 further characterized in that each agent is applied to the 'film separately.

14. The method according to claim 2 further characterized in that each agent is applied to the film separately.

15. The method according to claim 3 further characterised in that each agent is applied to the film separately.

JOHN R. CLARK. Ja.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are oi record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATINTB Number Name Date 728,310 Shepherd May 19, 1903 1.923,()43 Troland Aug. l5, 1933 2,036,945 Lierg Apr. 7, 1936 2.054.261 Lierg Sept. 15, 1936 

1. IN THE ART OF PRODUCING A COLOR PICTURE BY REACTION BETWEEN A DYE-PRODUCING COUPLING AGENT AND A REDUCING AGENT CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF AN AROMATIC AMINE, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN OXIDIZING AGENT, THE METHOD WHICH COMPRISES PRINTING BY IMBIBITION ON AN ABSORPTIVE FILM FROM A PRINTING MATRIX HAVING ONE OR TWO OF THE AGENTS DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT ITS AREA IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF THE PICTURE, AND THEN BATHING THE FILM WITH THE REMAINDER OF THE AGENTS, SO THAT SAID COUPLING AGENT FIRST RECTS WITH ONE OF THE OTHER TWO AGENTS, AND THE OTHER OF SAID TWO AGENTS THEN REACTS WITH THE REACTION PRODUCT OF SAID COUPLING AGENT AND SAID ONE OF THE OTHER TWO AGENTS THEREBY FORMING THE COLORING MATTER IN THE PRINTED FILM WHEN THE FILM IS BATHED. 